First, let me assure you that I'm not a troll. What I'm about to say shouldn't make you angry if you have an open mind. I enjoy reading these forums and I definately think a low carb lifestyle is highly appropriate for some, especially those with any type of insulin disorder. However, the diet often falls short for very active people and those involved in high intensity athletic pursuits. I'm 42 years old, prior military, prior amatuer boxer, prior amatuer bodybuilder; You name the diet or supplement and chances are, I have tried it. I'm presently recovering from my second unsuccessful low carb diet. I didn't need to lose weight, I just wanted to feel better. I have always been an advocate of the very low fat, higher carbohydate, high protein diet; Yes, low fat is possible along with high protein when a large portion of the protein comes from zero fat egg, milk, and whey supplements. One day I decided that I wanted to look even leaner, so I cut out all refined carbs...no bread, crackers, etc. My carbohydrate intake remained the same, only everything was very low on the glycemic index. I got a little more than I bargained for. Despite ample calories from protein and carbs, I started shrinking badly; I could see every vein in my anatomy. I wanted my strength back! I thought maybe more fat was the answer. I was scared to death of consuming fat and carbs together (we all know what that results in!) so I went LC. Vegetables (non-starchy) were my only carb source along with carbs that accompany nuts. I ate a lot of fish and salmon, chicken, etc. The strength started coming back right away. I felt good....a little slow, but good. However, after a few months I started gaining unwanted fat. Now I know that many say "you feel less hungry with high fat diets and therefore eat less". This was/is not true for me. Maybe if I sat on my butt most of the day and only engaged in light/moderate aerobic pursuits, that might work. However, my workouts and activity levels make me very hungry. High fat foods have relatively low bulk in relation in their calorie content and it's very easy to over-do it. Anyway, I got spooked and returned to my low-fat, higher carb routine. I immediately noticed an increase in strength in the gym. I concluded that my initial success with the low carb diet (feeling better, better strength) was not so much attributed to what I was eating, but to the fact that I had dramatically increased my caloric intake and was no longer in a catabolic state. So, here I am, back to my old diet. I can't help it, it works for me. This time however, I'm eating some bread and pasta so I don't get too skinny. I think that all people are metabolically different and the same diet does not work for all; its got a lot to do with your genetics and lifestyle. To tell you the truth, I love the food I eat when I try LC. I know that fats are good for you and that carbohydrate restriction is very good for maintaining stable blood glucose....it just doesn't work for me.